Coal distilling apparatus



Sept 19,1933. H.S.REED ETAL COAL DISTILLING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 16, 1930 A ORNEY 1,927,219 REED ET AL H. 5. Sept. COAL DISTILLING APPARATUS Sheet 2 t Filed May 16, 1950 2 Shee s www. v m m m d Z 1 1 ..v v

4 Ev/4rd x, 38 m & W 3 8% Q3 Q Patented Sept. 19, 1933 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1.027.211 l r I I nm-yaneeam Lansing Lamle, Detroit, Mich.

,and Ralph D.

amount of volatile, either gaseous or liquid,-by-

products.

Second, by the apparatus to produce a smokeless fuel from high volatile bituminous coal but which fuel may contain from 8% to 12% of volatile matter.

Third, to provide an apparatus to produce a fuel from such coal which will be acceptable in size, density and shape for domestic use by an aggregating method which avoids the necessity of briquetting.

Fourth, to provide an apparatus especially adapted to automatically carry out an effective process for distilling coal.

Fifth, to produce an improved drum distilling retort. I

Objects pertaining to details and economies will definitely appear from the description to follow. We accomplish the objects of our invention and carry out the process by the apparatus and means; a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

which:

Fig. 1 is a detail side elevation view of our retort and apparatus with portions of the furnace shown in vertical section at the center, portions being illustrated diagrammatically.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail broken vertical longitudinal sectional elevation view of our improved distilling apparatus taken on a line corresponding to line 2-2 of Figs. 3 and 4.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional elevation taken on the inclined line 3-3 of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional elevation view on the inclined line 4 -4 of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the angular and spherical tumbling bodies.

The parts will be identified by their numerals of reference which are the same in all the views.

' 200 is a steel cylinder retort roughly of a length ten times its diameter, that illustrated being about eight feet in diameter and eighty feet long.

The drum is provided with tires 201,- 202, and 203 which are secured directly to the drum which is provided with a driving ring 204 at the right hand end, the power driving means not being illustrated.

further description-as they are no part of the The tires 201, 202, and 203 rest upon carrying rollers 205, 206 and 207 respectively, supported upon a suitable concrete base. The cylinder is inclined at an angle of about ten degrees, the right hand end being the lower and main dis- 00 charge end. The retort is fed at both ends and is provided with gas and vapor take-offs at both ends. A greater or lesser inclination is permissible.

The drum 200 is provided with heads 208 and v 209 to which are attached axially disposed inlet and outlet sleeves 211 and 212, (211 at the right and 212 at the left) coal being taken in at both ends and gas being discharged at both ends and coke product at the right hand end. The retort 200.extends through two gas furnace combustion chambers 213 and 214. The gas burner or other fuel supply is not illustrated as our invention does not pertain to the same.

1 and 101 are identical coal hoppers, one at the left -and the other at the right hand end of the retort. Screw feed conveyors 2 and 102 lead from the said coal hoppers 1 and 101 axially through the intake and discharge sleeves into the body of the retort, the conveyors being in spaced relation to the said retort sleeves, the screw of which is independently driven, carrying fuel through the said conveyor.

3 and 103 are ofl-take gas chambers with connections at 4-and 104 to exhaust gas pumps (not shown) which deliver through a condensing or scrubber train of usual construction for the 5 and 105 are improved gas-tight bearings between the sleeve and the side walls of the sleeves 211 and 212 to the gas chambers at each end, these being of a construction like that appearing in our application Serial No. 452,879, filed May 16, 1930, and consequently not requiring present invention.

G-and are special screen partitions, located practically twelve feetand twenty-two feet respectively from the upper head 208 of the retort, dividing the first or grinding section or part of the retort 200 into compartments 301 and 302. These partitions have .a projecting peripheral flange which is secured to the inside of the retort, and have a segment of a cone with longitudinal slits forming a grid screen projecting forwardly towards the lower-ormain discharge end of the said retort. Five feet beyond the screen 'I is located the partition ring 8 which has a central opening and a plurality of lateral openings for the introduction of material therethrough.

chamber 303. A bailie ring 91s located ten feet in advance of the partition ring 8 and is intended to form chamber 304 to detain the tumbling material for some little time for treatment and agglomeration of the distilled and partially distilled material into lumps.

Four feet beyond this is located a supporting ring 10 with. openings near its periphery and with a central supporting part, which is merely a supporting ring without other function than to freely pass the material. I

Partition ring 11 forms chamber 305 for completing the distillation of the formed lumps to complete the elimination and distillation of the volatiles so far as required. This partition 11 also forms the discharge chamber 306 from which the finished lump fuel is picked up and eventually discharged into the sealed gas chamber 103 from which it is discharged by any suitable means through a sealed discharge like a star valve discharge (not shown). I

Angularly disposed flights 12 are at the right hand of chamber 303 for mixing the powdered fuel with the lumps of partially distilled coal that are delivered into the same. Sleeve 211 extends from the lower end of the retort to the partition 8 and is supported thereby. This sleeve is surrounded by the spaced drum 13 forming an annular insulating space 14 around the said sleeve 211. The space 14 between the sleeve 211 and the drum 13 is closed by a ring 15 at the upper end, so that there is an insulating dead air space around the sleeve 211.

Formed integral with the interior peripheral portion of the sleeve 211 is a helical conveyor flight 16 which receives the fuel from the conveyor 102 which is disposed axially centrally thereof and advances it to the discharge end near the center part of the retort into mixing chamber 303. The right hand portion of the sleeve 211 is provided with screw flight 17 which is the reverse of the screw conveyor flight 16 and is in tended to carry the finished material to the sealed gas chamber 103.

The sleeve 211 is provided with an opening 18 at one side (see Fig. l). A flight 19 extends to the periphery of the chamber 306 and serves to dip up the finished product, the composite lump fuel, and deliver it to the conveyor flight l7 whence it will be discharged from the apparatus through the chamber 103.

Within the chambers 301 and .302 are disposed impact grinding bodies A, B and C, part spherical and part angular, as seen in Fig. 5, for the powdering of coal delivered to the same and for clearing the same from the surface, as described in Patent #1,696,73l, issued Dec. 25, 1928, to Reed and Lamie, for Apparatus and process for utilizing coal.

In the operation of this structure, bituminous coal is introduced into the hoppers 1 and 101 at each end. The coal introduced at hopper 1 passes into the chamber 301 where it is at once acted upon by the heated impact bodies. As soon as the coal begins to expand from the distilling process, it is acted upon and reduced to smaller lumps and to powder which is then screened and advanced to the chamber 302 where the coal is completely pulverizedand passed on to mixing chamber 303 as strongly heated powdered coke material.

The gas from this upper end of the retort is largely discharged through the sleeve 212 out through the chamber 3 and the take-off pipe or outlet 4. Bituminous coal in the hopper 101 is delivered through the conveyor means 102 described into the inwardly extended portion of sleeve 211 where the same is taken up by the flight 16 and advanced gradually through the center of the retort to the mixing chamber 303. The coal is partially heated although below the fusion point.

The coal thus partially pre-heated passes upwardly and drops into the mixing chamber 303 where it meets the powdered hot coke from the compartment 302. By means of the flights or blades 12, fastened to the wall of the retort within the mixing chamber 303, the masses are mixed, thereby raising the temperature of the Dre-heated coal and lowering the temperature of the powdered coke delivered from chamber 302 in this chamber 303. Due to the intimate mixture of the two substances, the undistilled portion is quickly raised to the fusion temperature, and, aided by the revolving of the retort, balls are formed of the two materials. Not only do the particles of hot semi-coke from compartment 302 serve to quickly transmit the heat within the combined mass, but they also serve as focal points for the quick liberation of the vapor and gases within the distilling mass, thus producing a comparatively dense ball by limiting the effect of the gases to small jets rather than to liberating the same in large bubbles.

Further, because the honey-comb nature of that portion of semi-coke passing through compartments 301 and 302 has been destroyed by the grinding action of the impact bodies, the resultant mass will be comparatively dense. This mass, as it is mixed, is then'passed to compartment 304. There the powdered semi-coke acts as a dusting powder and prevents the sticking of the distilled mass of coal lumps to the walls of the retort. This powder is also slightly abrasive and acts as a scouring agent to keep the walls of the retort in this compartment clean. The dusting action is enhanced by the baflle ring 9 which serves to hold back any powdered ma 120 'terial but allows the balls to pass on into compartment 305 where, by reason of further application of heat, the distilling process is completed and the volatiles are driven off to the required amount, there being purposely left in the 125 material from 8% to 12% of volatile matter to enchance its fuel value and insure its ready burning.

From compartment 305 the semi-coke balls pass into compartment 306 where by the action of 130 flight 19 (see Fig. 4) the same are lifted and discharged into the sleeve 211 and are carried out by the left hand screw flight 1'7 and discharged.

From this description it will be seen that a process is effectively carried on for recovering a large part of the volatiles from bituminous coal and delivering a composite lump fuel product in available form, thus avoiding the necessity of briquetting, a process common in the treating of powdered fuel.

It will be seen that a mass of coal is distilled andreduced to powder, the volatile parts being removed as stated above. There is then dropped into this mass of heated powder, lumps of preheated coal which are at once raised to the fusion temperature by the high temperature of the powdered coke or semi-coke. The fused part at once accumulates and collects a body of the heated powdered coke, therebyforming lumps of more or less spherical form, the powdered coke forming foci for the rapid and effective discharge of gas.

These fused bodies are kept and supported in the powdered coal until their surfaces have been sufliciently distilled to make firm lumps which are then passed on to a chamber and the volatiles driven off to the required amount.

It is clear that our improved retort means is especially adapted to this process. However, the same could be carried on by a plurality of retorts delivering the heated materials together or in any way delivering these heated materials to-- gether and agitating them and subjecting them to heat to secure the desired result.

We desire, therefore, to claim our special ap-- paratus specifically and broadly as pointed out In the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus for distilling and treatin coal, the combination of an inclined elongated cylindrical rotating tumbling barrel retort provided with supporting tires towards each end and at the middle, roller means on which said tires rest for actuating the same, a gas furnace surrounding a portion of each end of the retort, a central mixing chamber with agitating flights, off-take gas and coke discharge chambers at each end of said retort, axially disposed journal bearing sleeves at each end of said retort, gas-tight bearings between the said sleeves and the said off-take chambers, coal hoppers at both ends of said retort with axially disposed helical conveyors extending through the said off-take chambers and centrally of said sleeves into the said retort, an extension of said bearing sleeve at the lower main discharge end of said retort extending within the retort to the central mixing chamber, a helical flight in said sleeve within the chamber to carry coal to the central mixing chamber, a section of oppositely arranged screw flight at the outer end of said sleeve for discharging the completed coke fuel product, an insulation sleeve within the said retort surrounding the said conveyor sleeve extension within the retort drum, screen partitions dividing the upper main grinding portion of said drum into succeeding grinding chambers, the same comprising forwardly projecting grid conical portions for screening the powdered coke, spherical and angular impact bodies within the said grinding chambers, a baflle ring beyond the said mixing chamber forming an aggregating chamber, a distilling chamber towards the discharge end of said retort, and a. discharge chamber in said retort at the lower end thereof containing a dipper flight for elevating and delivering the completed coke fuel product to the discharge conveyor.

2. In an apparatus for distilling and treating coal, the combination of an inclined elongated cylindrical rotating tumbling barrel retort, a gas furnace surrounding a portion of each end of chamber and axially of said retort forming a hollow journal, a helical flight in said sleeve within the chamber to carry coal to the central mixing chamber, a section of oppositely disposed screw flight in the outer end of said sleeve within the hollow journal for discharging the completed coke fuel product, screen partitions dividing the upper main grinding portion of said drum into succeeding grinding chambers, the same comprising forwardly projecting grid conical portions for screening the powdered coke, spherical and angular impact bodies within the said grinding chambers, a battle ring beyond the said mixing chamber forming an aggregating chamber, a distilling chamber towards the discharge end of said "retort, and a discharge chamber in said retort at the lower end thereof containing a dipper flight for elevating and delivering the completed cokefuel product to the discharge conveyor.

3. In an apparatus for distilling and treating coal, the combination of an inclined elongated cylindrical rotating tumbling barrel retort, a gas furnace surrounding aportion of each end of the retort, a central mixing chamber with agitating flights, off-take gas and coke discharge chambers at each end of said retort, axially disposed journal bearing sleeves at each end of said retort, gas-tight bearings between the said sleeves and the said off-take chambers, coal hoppers at both ends of said retort with axially disposed helical conveyors extending through the said off-take chambers and centrally of said sleeves into the said retort, an extension of said bearing sleeve at the lower main discharge end of said retort extending within the chamber to carry coal to the central mixing chamber, a section of oppositely arranged screw flight at the outerend of said sleeve for discharging the completed coke fuel product, screen partitions dividing the upper main grinding portion of said drum into succeeding grinding chambers, impact bodies within the said grinding chambers, a bafile ring beyond the said mixing chamber forming an aggregating chamber, a distilling chamber towards the discharge end of said retort, and a discharge cham- 120 ber in said retort at the lower end thereof containing a dipper flight for elevating and delivering the completed coke fuel product to the discharge conveyor.

4. In an apparatus for distilling and treating coal, the combination of an inclined elongated cylindrical rotating tumbling barrel retort, a gas furnace surrounding a portion of each end of the retort, a central mixing chamber, off-take gas and coke discharge chambers at each end of said retort, axially disposed journal bearing sleeves at each end of said retort, gas-tight bearings between the said sleeves and the said off-take chambers, coal hoppers at both ends of said retort with axially disposed helical conveyors extending through the said off-take chambers and centrally of said sleeves into the said retort, an extension of said bearing sleeve at the lower main discharge end of said retort extending within the retort to the central mixing chamber, a helical'flight in said sleeve within the chamber to carry coal to the central mixing chamber, a section of oppositely arranged screw flight at the outer end of said sleeve for discharging the completed coke 145 fuel product, a distilling chamber towards the discharge end of said retort, and a discharge chamber in said retort at the lower end thereof containing a dipper flight for elevating and delivering the completed coke fuel product to the 150 discharge conveyor.

5; In an apparatus for distilling and treating coal, the combination of an inclined elongated cylindrical rotating tumbling barrel retort, a gas furnace surrounding a portion of each end of the retort, a central mixing chamber, oil-take gas and coke discharge chambers at each end of said retort, axially disposed journal bearing sleeves at each end of said retort, gas-tight bearings between the said sleeves and the said oil-take chambers, coal hoppers at both ends of said retort with axially disposed helical conveyors extending through the said oif-take chambers and centrally of said sleeves into the said retort, an extension of said bearing sleeve at the lower main discharge coal, the combination of an inclined elongated cylindrical rotating tumbling barrel retort, furnace means for heating the opposite end portions thereof, a central mixing chamber in said retort, axially disposed journal bearing sleeves for said retort, a coal hopper and conveyor for delivering to the feed end of said retort, pulverizing means at theupper end of the retort for pulverizing coal and delivering powdered coke to the said central mixing chamber, an elongation extension of the sleeve at the discharge end of the retort, a helical conveyor flight therein disposed to deliver toward the center of said retort, a coal hopper and conveyor for delivering into the discharge end of said retort within the said sleeve extension, whereby pre-heated coal will be delivered to the central mixing chamber to mix with the hot powdered coke from the upper end portion, a discharge chamber at the discharge end of said retort, and an elevator dipper flight within said chamber, and an outwardly delivering spiralflight within the outwardly extending portion of the said journal sleeve.

'1. In an apparatus for distilling and treating coal, the combination of an inclined elongated cylindrical rotating tumbling barrel retort, furnace means for heating the opposite end portions thereof, a central mixing chamber in said retort, axially disposed journal bearing sleeves for said retort, a coal hopper and conveyor for delivering to the feed end of said retort, pulverizing means at the upper end of the retort for pulverizing coal and delivering powdered coke to the said central mixing chamber, an elongation extension of the sleeve at the discharge end of the retort, a helical conveyor flight therein disposed to deliver toward the center of said retort, a coal hopper and conveyor for delivering into the discharge end of said retort within the said sleeve extension, whereby pre-heated coal will be delivered to the central mixing chamber to mix with the hot powdered coke from the upper end portion, a discharge chamber at the discharge end of said drum, and discharge means for delivering the finished solid fuel from said retort.

8. The combination of an externally heated tumbling barrel retort, having a central mixing chamber, means for delivering coal into one end thereof, tumbling means for grinding the coal while it is being distilled, means for delivering coal through the opposite end of said retort to the said central mixing chamber, means to pre-heat 

